What Is SEO, and Why Should You Care?

First, what is SEO, or Search Engine Optimization? And how can improving your website’s SEO performance increase your revenue? Good questions? Read on.

SEO is a term used for the methods that ensure visibility of a website and its content on search engine results pages. SEO results are natural, organic or earned, which means they are unpaid results that affect visibility of a website. When your website’s SEO continuously improves, search engines notice. So when a potential customer searches for goods or services you offer, Google shows them your site right up on the first page.

OK, How Do I Pump Up My SEO Performance?

To have a site’s SEO perform at a high success rate, certain criteria must be met: content, performance and user experience.

Search engines refer users to websites that are most relevant to what they’re seeking. These are the keys to determine relevancy and ranking. The more organized and consistent the content (theme, text, titles and descriptions), the easier it is for the user to have a clear idea of what the website is offering. More users will visit and stay on a site with good content, which will give the website higher visibility.

Great User Experience Boosts SEO Performance

In addition to that, performance on the site itself is very important. Is your site responsive-easy to read and navigate with minimal resizing, panning and scrolling across a wide range of devices? How fast is your site? Do all of your site links work properly? A properly working site will give the user a stress-free experience that can lead to great recommendations.

Effective Design and Messaging Matter, Too!

Speaking of user experience, does your site look professional and well-organized? Users trust sites that look authoritative and are easy to travel through. These types of sites are visited frequently. Try to stay away from clutter, such as too many elements, colors, etc. The user wants to find the content they’re searching for without too many hurdles. Also, make sure your navigational tools are easy to find and use. One of most important factors for good SEO relevancy is to have a low bounce rate, or the number of visitors who navigate away from your site after viewing only the first page. Powerful, engaging content and messaging helps keep users on your site … until they decide to call or buy.

Good SEO practices should always be a priority. Pay attention to your users’ experiences. Keep your site fresh and up to date. Following these basics will help improve your SEO relevancy and ranking.